His Majesties Message TO Both Houses of PARLIAMENT, from the Jsle of Wight, Novemb. 17. 1647.  
Desiring a personal Treaty at London with the two Houses of Parliament.  
Declaring his Resolution concerning Religion, Church-Government, the Militia, the arrears of the Army, the Court of Wards and Liveries, and other things, in order to the settlement of the Peace of the Kingdom.  
red in the House of Commons, Friday Novemb. 19. 1647.  
 arms of Charles I 
C R  ●●NI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE dieu ET MON DROIT  
London: Printed by Robert Austin. 1647.   

C. R.  
HIs Majesty is confident that before this time, His two Houses of Parliament have received the Message which he left behind him at Hampton-Court the eleventh of this Month, by which they will have understood the reasons which enforced him to go from thence, as likewise his constant endeavours, for the settling of a safe and well grounded Peace wheresoever he should be; And being now in a place, where he conceives himself to be at much more freedom and security then formerly; He thinks it necessary( not only for making good of his own professions, but also for the speedy procuring of a Peace in these languishing and distressed kingdoms) at this time to offer such grounds to His two Houses for that effect; which upon due examination of all Interests, may best conduce thereunto.  
And because Religion is the best and chiefest foundation of Peace, His Majesty will begin with that Particular.  
That for the abolishing Arch-bishops, Bishops, &c. His Majesty clearly professeth, that He cannot give His consent thereunto, both in relation as He is a Christian, and a King: For the first, He avows that He is satisfied in His judgement, that this order was placed in the Church by the Apostles themselves; and ever since their time, hath continued in all Christian Churches throughout the world, until this last century of years; And in this Church in all times of Change and Reformation, it hath been upheld by the wisdom of his ancestors, as the great preserver of Doctrine, Discipline, and Order in the service of God. As a King at his Coronation, he hath not only taken a solemn Oath, to maintain this Order, but His Majesty and His predecessors in their confirmations of the Great Charter, have inseparably woven the right of the Church into the Liberties of the rest of their Subjects: And yet he is willing, it be provided that the particular Bishops perform the several Duties of their callings, both by their personal residence and frequent Preachings in their dioceses, as also that they exercise no act of Jurisdiction or Ordination, without the consent of their Presbyters; And will consent, that their Powers in all things be so limited, that they be not grievous to tender Consciences: Wherefore, since His Majesty is willing to give ease to the Consciences of others, He sees no reason why He alone, and those of His judgement, should be P●●ssed to a violation of theirs. Nor can His Majesty consent to the Alienation of Church Lands, because it cannot be denied to be a sin of the highest sacrilege; as also, that it subverts the intentions of so many pious Donors, who have laid a heavy curse upon all such profane violations, which His Majesty is very unwilling to undergo; And besides the matter of Conscience, His Majesty believes it to be a prejudice to the public good, many of His Subjects having the benefit of renewing Leases at much easier Rates, then if those possessions were in the hands of private men; not omitting the discouragement which it will be to all learning and industry, when such eminent rewards shall be taken away, which now lye open to the Children of meanest Persons. Yet His Majesty considering the great present distempers concerning Church Discipline, and that the Presbyterian Government is now in practise, his Majesty to eschew confusion as much as may be, and for the satisfaction of his two Houses, is content that the said Government bee legally permitted to stand, in the same condition it now is for three years; Provided, that his majesty and those of his judgement( or any other who cannot in conscience submit thereunto) be not obliged to comply with presbyterial Government, but have free practise of their own Profession, without receiving any prejudice thereby; and that a free consultation and debate be had with the Divines at Westminster( twenty of His Majesties nomination being added unto them) whereby it may be determined by His Majesty and the two Houses, how the Church-government after the said time shall be settled,( or sooner if differences may be agreed) as is most agreeable to the Word of God; with full liberty to all those who shall differ upon conscientious grounds from that settlement; always provided, that nothing aforesaid be understood to tolerate those of the Popish Profession, nor the exempting of any Popish Recusant from the penalties of the laws, or to tolerate the public profession of atheism or blasphemy, contrary to the doctrine of the Apostles, Nicene and Athanasian Creeds, they having been received by, and had in reverence of all the Christian Churches; and more particularly by this of England, ever since the Reformation.  
Next, the Militia being that right, which is inseparably and undoubtedly inherent in the crown, by the laws of this Nation, and that which former Parliaments, as likewise this, hath acknowledged so to be; His Majesty cannot so much wrong that trust which the laws of God and this Land hath annexed to the crown for the protection and security of his People, as to divest himself and Successors of the power of the Sword: yet to give an infallible evidence of his desire to secure the performance of such agreements as shall be made in order to a peace, His Majesty will consent to an Act of Parliament, that the whole power of the Militia both by Sea and Land, for and during his whole reign, shall be ordered and disposed by his two Houses of Parliament, or by such persons as they shall appoint, with powers limited for suppressing of Forces within this kingdom, to the disturbance of the public Peace, and against foreign Invasion; and that they shall have power during his said reign, to raise moneys for the purposes aforesaid; and that neither His Majesty that now is, or any other( by any authority derived onely from him) shall execute any of the said Powers during His Majesties said reign, but such as shall act by the consent and approbation of the two Houses of Parliament: nevertheless His Majesty intends that all Patents, Commissions, and other Acts concerning the Militia, be made and acted as formerly; and that after His Majesties reign, all the power of the Militia shall return entirely to the crown, as it was in the times of Queen Elizabeth, and King james of blessed memory.  
After this head of the Militia, the consideration of the arrears due to the Army is not improper to follow; for the payment whereof, and the case of his People, His Majesty is willing to concur in any thing that can be done without the violation of his Conscience and Honour. Wherefore if his two Houses shall consent to remit unto him such benefit out of Sequestrations from Michaelmas last, and out of Compositions that shall be made before the co●cluding of the peace, and the arrears of such as have been already made, the assistance of the clergy, and the Arrears of such Rents of his own Revenue as his two Houses shall not have received before the concluding of the Peace, His majesty will undertake within the space of eighteen Moneths, the payment of four hundred thousand pounds for the satisfaction of the Army: And if those means shall not be sufficient, His Majesty intends to give way to the sale of forest Lands for that purpose, this being the public debt which in His Majesties judgement is first to be satisfied; and for other public debts already contracted upon Church Lands or any other engagements, His Majesty will give his confent to such Act or Acts for raising of moneys for payment thereof as both Houses shall hereafter agree upon, so as they be equally laid, whereby his people( already too heavily burdened by these late distempers) may have no more pressures upon them then this absolute necessity requires: And for the further securing of all fears, His Majesty will consent, that an Act of Parliament be passed for the disposing of the great Offices of State, and naming of privy Counsellors for the whole term of his reign by the two Houses of Parliament, their Patents and Commissions being taken from His Majesty, and after to return to the crown, as is expressed in the Article of the Militia. For the Court of Wards and Liveries, His Majesty very well knows the consequence of taking that away, by turning of all tenors into common Soccage, as well in point of Revenue to the crown, as in the Protection of many of his Subjects being Infants. nevertheless if the continuance thereof seem grievous to His Subjects, rather then he will fail on his part in giving satisfaction, he will consent to an Act for taking of it away, so as a full recompense be settled upon His Majesty and his Successors in perpetuity, and that the arrears now due be reserved unto him towards the payment of the arrears of the Army.  
And that the memory of these late distractions may be wholly wiped away, His majesty will consent to an Act of Parliament for the suppressing and making null of all Oaths, Declarations and Proclamations against both or either House of Parliament, and of all Indictments and other proceedings against any persons for adhering unto them; and His Majesty proposeth,( as the best expedient to take away all seeds of future differences) that there be an Act of Oblivion to extend to all his Subjects.  
As for Ireland, the Cessation there is long since determined, but for the future( all other things being fully agreed) His majesty will give full satisfaction to his Houses concerning that kingdom.  
And although His Majesty cannot consent in Honor & Justice to avoid all His own Grants and Acts past under His Great seal since the two and twentieth of May 1642. or to the confirming of all the Acts and Grants passed under that made by the two Houses, yet His Majesty is confident, that upon perusal of particulars, He shall give full satisfaction to His two Houses, to what may be reasonably desired in that particular.  
And now His Majesty conceives that by these His offers( which He is ready to make good upon the settlement of a Peace) He hath clearly manifested his intentions to give full security & satisfaction to all Interests, for what can justly be desired in order to the future happiness of His People. And for the perfecting of these concessions, as also for such other things as may be proposed by the two Houses, & for such just & reasonable demands as His Majesty shal find necessary to propose on His part, He earnestly desires a personal treaty at London with his two Houses, in Honour, freedom and Safety, it being in his judgement the most proper and indeed only means to a firm and settled Peace, and impossible without it to reconcile former, or avoid future misunderstandings.  
All these things being by Treaty perfected, His majesty believes His two Houses will think it reasonable, that the proposals of the Army concerning the Succession of Parliaments and their due Elections, should be taken into consideration.  
As for what concerns the kingdom of Scotland, His majesty will very readily apply himself to give all reasonable satisfaction, when the desires of the two Houses of Parliament on their behalf, or of the Commissioners of that kingdom, or of both joined together, shall be made known unto him.  

For the Speaker of the Lords House pro Tempore, to be communicated to the Lords and Commons in the Parliament of England at Westminster, and the Commissioners of the Parliament of Scotland.